Screenplay: Once Upon a Time in Paris
by Jack Bullions
Summary: Unfinished. Content DV. Buffy rejoins the legendary hunter for a mission in the City of Lights. They soon discover that they are pawns in an all-out war between the Vampire nation and the Werewolf clans.
1. Pages 01 to 10


    ONCE UPON A TIME IN PARIS
    by
    Jack Bullions
    FADE IN:
    A FULL MOON swimming in the cold winter air.
    CUT TO:
    EXT. CEMETARY - DAY
    Wind whistling.
    CUT TO a stone effigy of the angel of death, wings spread
    wide, half-smile on her face, with a cloak of snow.
    PULL BACK to reveal a large obelisk grave marker the statue
    is perched on.
    PAN FURTHER BACK.
    The entire yard is blanketed in white from an earlier storm.
    Morbid winter wonderland.
    Then, the soft SOUNDS of snow being crunched. Someone is
    approaching. A large shadow falls over the stone with the
    angel. Whoever it is stares at the statue, then moves away.
    WHIP PAN following the man in a low angle view. His legs
    passing by numerous manicured headstones, markers of all
    kinds, arriving at the cemetery gates.
    PAN UP AND AROUND past his body, to see the man from behind.
    He is tall, powerful build under the long coat flowing
    against the wind. His stature is impeccable, unmoving
    against the cold breath of nature. He pushes open the outer
    gates. It CREAKS, disturbing silence.
    EXT. STREETSIDE - DAY
    The man walks out of the gate, to BUFFY waiting. It's
    freezing out in Paris. Ice puddles along the curb. Ground
    so cold, smoke rises from the cement and gravel. Buffy
    exhales a mist, brushes her arm briskly. Her nose giving off
    a rosy hue.
    THE MAN
    You okay?
    BUFFY
    Superbe. Et vous?
    THE MAN
    Peachy.
    A church bell rings from a distance, resonating. This draws
    Buffy's attention to --
    HER POV: A large white cross on the church steeple standing
    against the rolling gray clouds.
    BACK ON BUFFY, pulling her leather jacket tighter around her
    body. Both of them wear predominately black.
    BUFFY
    So what are we waiting for?
    THE MAN
    Our contact. He is late.
    Buffy nods, rocks back and forth on the inch-high heels of
    her boots.
    THE MAN
    You sure you don't want my coat? Seeing
    how you're practically naked in front of
    me.
    BUFFY
    I'm good.
    THE MAN
    Sure?
    BUFFY
    (hard)
    Yes, Dad.
    THE MAN
    All right. You sneeze, you suffer.
    A long sleek STRETCH LIMO cruises up near the entrance of the
    cemetery. It pulls to a stop. The man motions Buffy to
    climb in.
    INT. LIMOUSINE - DAY
    Inside, a PRIEST, early 40s, is sitting, looking stressed.
    He's dressed in his "civilian" clothing, wears his hair short
    and proper.
    The door opens, a shadow comes inside and a sudden gust of
    cool wind. The Priest visibly shudders, both from man and
    nature. Buffy drops herself in a seat across from him. The
    Priest is surprised by her appearance, stares.
    PRIEST
    Oh, I did not expect company.
    THE MAN
    (perfect French, off screen)
    Mon apprenti.
    The Priest looks even more confused.
    PRIEST
    Ah oui, I see. An apprentice...
    THE MAN (O.S.)
    Problem?
    PRIEST
    No. Not at all. This is unexpected.
    BUFFY
    I take it there's history between you.
    THE MAN
    He has connections with the Camarilla,
    Buffy. It helps to have someone work in
    the day, especially a person of his
    position.
    PRIEST
    The Church acknowledges grievance from
    the vampire society, for the events that
    had transpired during the Inquisition.
    And for better or for worst, this is our
    first steps towards reconciliation.
    (to the man)
    Again, I would like to express my
    sincerest gratitude for you coming to us.
    THE MAN (O.S.)
    I'm here, Father. You have nothing to
    worry about. This place is it.
    The Priest looks out the window. A sullen nod.
    PRIEST
    This was Brother Pierre's church. He had
    a congregation of his own several years
    ago. There were some problems. The
    church has been deserted since.
    THE MAN (O.S.)
    What sort of problems?
    PRIEST
    We aren't sure exactly what happened to
    him, only theories, or what became of him
    after. He disappeared.
    The Priest leans forward to pick up a file. The action draws
    him close to Buffy. He smiles uncomfortably.
    PRIEST
    Excusez-moi.
    Buffy scoots to the side.
    THE MAN (O.S.)
    Brother Pierre?
    PRIEST
    He was an excellent priest, devoted in
    every way.
    He opens up the file, pulls out 8-inch by 10-inch glossies.
    A HAND appears, accepts each photo one by one.
    The first one is of a YOUNG GIRL, no more than late teens, an
    angel, smiling as if the sun never sets. Each other one,
    various blow-ups of other people.
    PRIEST
    Those are the missing victims of the past
    four months. The first photo is Chloe.
    The photos are rotated between the three.
    PRIEST
    (indicating a mugshot of a man)
    That is Brother Pierre.
    THE MAN
    A Slayer was sent?
    PRIEST
    Oui. Chloe. She was sent last night.
    She has not returned since.
    (beat)
    With each passing hour, her family grows
    desperate. It won't be long before
    authorities investigate and most likely
    find nothing and declare the case closed
    like the others.
    THE MAN
    Perhaps. And her Watcher?
    The Priest hesitates to answer. Buffy looks up from the photo.
    PRIEST
    He is... useless. Do you believe it is
    too late?
    THE MAN
    Won't be a problem. Have faith, Father.
    We'd better get started.
    PRIEST
    God go with you.
    EXT. LIMOUSINE - DAY
    The man climbs out of the limo. He turns around. Meet
    JEHONAS, looking not a day older or younger. He moves off.
    AT THE BACK OF THE LIMO
    Jehonas pops open the trunk, brings out A LARGE SUIT CARRIER.
    He slams down the trunk, puts the luggage over. Jehonas
    unzips it, revealing an assortment of GUNS, high-tech
    weapons, stakes of silver, gold and wood, strapped inside.
    He zips it back up.
    Light snowfall starting to come down. He adjusts the collar
    of his long coat, starts across the street with Buffy.
    EXT. CHURCH - DAY
    A once exemplary church, now boarded up, neglected. Gothic
    in style, it stands with deserted brownstones and empty lots
    of rubble as neighbors. Ancient, vaguely wolf-like GARGOYLES
    high up stare down at Jehonas and Buffy moving up the stairs.
    BELOW, they reach the double brazen doors.
    BUFFY
    What's his deal? It's like he hasn't
    seen a girl in years.
    JEHONAS
    He hasn't.
    The limo starts up and leaves.
    Jehonas pulls open the door, revealing darkness. They both
    disappear inside.
    INT. CORRIDOR - DIMLY LIT - DAY
    Footsteps ECHOING in the b.g.
    Jehonas appears into frame, stops before another door, pushes
    it open. He and Buffy enter from the lobby into the front of
    the church. A huge-ass church. Shafts of colored light
    needle through the holes in the pieces of wood and cloth that
    cover the broken stained glass windows.
    Jehonas walks down the center aisle between deteriorated
    pews. Rats run from one side to the other, disturbed by the
    sudden intrusion.
    Buffy clicks on her flashlight, shines the light from one
    side to the other, taking in the sight.
    JEHONAS
    13th Century Gothic. Many of the gypsies
    and other deemed heretic religions
    escaped the Inquisition by fleeing into
    sympathizing churches like this.
    (beat)
    No doubt, vampires of today still use
    this church for the same purpose.
    Buffy nods silently.
    JEHONAS
    Underneath the floors of the church are
    the catacombs of Rochereau. The tunnels
    connect to the sewer networks of Paris.
    BUFFY
    A good way to run and hide.
    JEHONAS
    Yes.
    Jehonas stops before a rather barren altar. To the right, at
    the top of the altar stairs, there is a stone statue of a
    saint with his arms outstretched, welcoming.
    Buffy shines her light at the statue. The life-size saint is
    covered in spider-webs. Tiny spiders crawl across his eyes,
    which look down on Jehonas and Buffy.
    JEHONAS
    Saint Aquinas. Philosopher. Theologian.
    Patron of schools and universities. A
    man of many skills.
    Buffy shines the flashlight against the back altar wall,
    revealing a wooden carving of Christ crucified.
    BUFFY
    Is this still his house, even when no one
    comes anymore?
    JEHONAS
    Of course, Buffy.
    He watches her move the beam of light around.
    JEHONAS
    Do you believe in God?
    BUFFY
    (shrugs)
    I've called out to him once or twice.
    JEHONAS
    Let me ask you something else. Why are
    you here? With me. You are in the
    Lord's house remember. Answer honestly.
    Buffy rolls her eyes, going into a routine.
    BUFFY
    It couldn't hurt if you had a little
    back-up, right?
    JEHONAS
    Yes, you told me that in New York, a year
    ago. This is Paris.
    BUFFY
    Yeah, I know. But you invited me to
    come, remember that? and this isn't
    something I get offered a lot.
    JEHONAS
    Slaying?
    BUFFY
    No, going out of the country. I wanted
    to hang with you, and besides, I'm
    learning 13th Century Gothic history,
    right? Learning is a good thing.
    Buffy points to the statue. A wry smile spreads across
    Jehonas' face, nods.
    He shrugs off his long coat with casual grace. Underneath is
    his sleeveless 6-Point Kevlar vest.
    BUFFY
    What? You have that expression again.
    Jehonas drops back to his inscrutable face.
    JEHONAS
    What expression?
    BUFFY
    That thing you're doing.
    JEHONAS
    Taking off my coat?
    Jehonas places his longcoat over an upturned bench.
    BUFFY
    No. Yes. I know that face. Whatever
    you're thinking, that's not it.
    JEHONAS
    That could hurt a man.
    BUFFY
    Stop that. That's not what I meant.
    (defensive)
    Wait a minute, what are you thinking?
    JEHONAS
    I like you a lot, Buffy. You're a good
    kid.
    He turns.
    JEHONAS (CONT'D)
    What do you think I'm thinking?
    BUFFY
    Well... I just, you know... oh,
    nevermind.
    Buffy spins away from him, taking off her own coat.
    Something distracts Jehonas. His back to her. His attention
    focused to the floor. Placing the carrier bag on the altar,
    he kneels down.
    TIGHT ON JEHONAS, his eyes, careful and feral, are working
    over the feint DRAG MARKS and FOOTPRINTS from the dust.
    Except the footprints are odd. Bestial.
    He adjusts his position, following the tracks under Buffy and
    to the darkness beyond.
    JEHONAS
    Footprints, Buffy, leading deeper into
    the church.
    BUFFY
    Usual M-O?
    JEHONAS
    No blood. Victim may have been
    unconscious. Check out the prints.
    Buffy crouches down with Jehonas.
    BUFFY
    Whoa, this looks absolutely funky.
    JEHONAS
    Yes. There's something different.
    Jehonas stands, perplexed, stares at the church.
    BUFFY
    Werebat? Like the ones from that Mong-
    ee Place?
    JEHONAS
    I can't tell. The edges are too feint.
    (corrects her French)
    And it's Place Monge.
    He unzips the bag and pulls out a sleek black high-powered
    HUNTING CROSSBOW. He flips a switch and the bow ARMS swing
    out with metallic greasy smoothness, locking into place. He
    tosses it to Buffy.
    BUFFY
    Uh, no. Shotgun.
    Jehonas goes back to his bag.
    BUFFY
    Shotgun.
    No answer.
    BUFFY
    We've been at this, what, for like a year
    and you still don't trust me with a gun?
    JEHONAS
    A shotgun, and a gun, are two very
    different weapons.
    BUFFY
    Whatever. I know about the whole recoil
    thing. I heard your schpeel. But
    seriously I think the vampire community
    is making headways into the 20th century
    while the Slayers hang back with stakes
    and crossbows. That is so not cool. So.
    Shotgun.
    Jehonas rolls it through his mind.
    He pulls out a sawed-off 12-GAUGE BROWNING LEVER-ACTION
    SHOTGUN. He twirls the shotgun, a la Terminator, chambering
    a round and hands it to her.
    An expression of sublime delight fills her face as she takes
    the piece.
    JEHONAS
    Just watch where you point it.
    He goes back to his bag, pulls out DUAL RUGER P85s. He slaps
    in a fresh clip in each one, chambers a round. Fluids
    graceful and mechanical. Next. His MAC-10 SMG from Slayers.
    Next. He straps a bandoleer of STAKES around his left thigh.
    Next. His SWORD, the blade of Jehonas, sheathed into a back
    scabbard.
    He turns back to Buffy who is squatting, lacing up her boots.
    His eyes drop down to her behind, perfectly shaped under
    tight fitting pants.
    Jehonas shifts his eyes away. Buffy tucks her hair behind a
    ear, looks up at him. She notices his tongue rolling against
    the inside of his cheek.
    BUFFY
    Did you eat?
    She does an injection motion with her hand.
    JEHONAS
    Yes. No underwear today?
    BUFFY
    (impish grin)
    What's wrong with that?
    JEHONAS
    Nothing.
    BUFFY
    It gets in the way when I kick...
    JEHONAS
    (holding up hand)
    All right. You women. We ready?
    BUFFY
    Let's book.
    He hands her a gold chrome COLT 1911 handgun with holster,
    which she takes and slings over her shoulder. Buffy notices
    Jehonas still looking at her, almost a proud look. They
    share a moment. Two hunters, mutual camaraderie in their
    work.
    Jehonas nods to the darkness, and they leave.
    INT. STAIRWAY - DAY
    Jehonas and Buffy move down the giant stairs without so much
    of a noise, keeping their backs to the wall. Their eyes
    alert, scanning the surroundings. Both minds now on the
    hunt.
    At the bottom of the stairs --
    They both turn to a doorway leading into a corridor of
    perpetual darkness.
    INT. CORRIDOR - DAY
    Jehonas and Buffy cat-step down the hallway. They stop
    before another door.
    INT. CELLAR ROOM - DAY
    Jehonas peers into the room. Silence. The place was once a
    study, but now a complete mess. Decaying bookshelves lying
    on top of each other, wrecked from moisture. Broken
    furniture, some graffiti on walls, smashed light bulbs.
    He moves to one specific bookcase, a giant one set against
    the wall. He looks down --
    ON THE FLOOR
    Scrape marks on the dusty ground.
    Jehonas and Buffy both push the bookcase on one side. It
    rotates loudly, stone grinding on stone. They look in, more
    darkness.
    INT. CATACOMBS - DAY
    Jehonas and Buffy, quite stoic, climb down the ancient
    stairs, watching left and right. Jehonas reaches over his
    shoulder and slowly unsheathes his slender sword. The SOUNDS
    of static drip of water echoing in the b.g. Buffy goes wide
    eyed as soon as she's at the foot of the stairs.
    BUFFY
    Oh, my God.
    They stare at two large tunnels which lead into a twisting,
    intestinal maze, lined from floor to ceiling with HUMAN
    SKULLS and FEMURS. The bones form the building blocks of the
    tunnel walls and are arranged in various patterns -- from
    crucifixes to Masonic pyramids and even pentagrams. We see
    where the drips were coming from. Ground water seeping from
    the ceilings and walls, dripping over the eroded, crumbling
    bones.
    JEHONAS
    After the revolution, the Paris
    cemeteries overflowed. Many dug up the
    old bodies of their relatives and brought
    them here. Seven thousand people.
    Mostly very poor. I helped a thirteen
    year old girl bury her father here many
    years ago.
    BUFFY
    Pretty stylish digs for a bunch of
    paupers.
    JEHONAS
    Of course. They are French.
    He leads her --
    CUT TO:
    DEEPER INSIDE,
    Jehonas moving at the point, Buffy a few paces behind. She's
    keeping careful watch over her shoulder, gripping the pump of
    her Browning tighter. They pass an intersection, keeping the
    straight path.
    Then suddenly --
    SOMETHING BIG, a flash of fur, sprinting across the corridor
    behind Buffy. Hardly a sound. But Buffy feels that hair
    tingling behind the back of her neck. She looks back.
    Nothing.
    TIGHT ON JEHONAS, scanning the floor when --
    HIS HEAD SUDDENLY TURNS. He listens to something we cannot
    begin to hear. A momentary pause.
    


	2. Pages 11 to 15


    BUFFY
    (hushed)
    Did you hear that, too?
    Jehonas doesn't respond, and they both make a left. Just as
    they take a few steps down the tunnel.
    He shoots out his arm, stopping Buffy. He listens.
    He turns his head, glancing behind them, searching.
    HIS POV: Nothing but darkness down the tunnel. Water
    dripping as loud as lead being dropped into a bucket. Rats
    SQUEEKING louder than their size would hint.
    His senses are amplified many times more than a human.
    BUFFY
    What is it?
    JEHONAS
    It's been a while since I walked down
    these tunnels. Simple nostalgia. Let's
    go.
    He turns back.
    At the end of corridor, Jehonas notices a wooden door there
    partially opened. Twirling his blade once, he inches closer,
    trying to peek inside.
    Buffy wrinkles her nose. Jehonas gives her a hand signal, to
    be ready.
    He slowly pushes open the door.
    INT. CATACOMBS - ROOM - DAY
    Entering the room, the first thing they see horrifies them.
    THEIR POV: BODIES. Nearly a dozen, torn and mangled,
    bloodied, strewn all about the room. Lifeless eyes watching
    back at Jehonas and Buffy where they stand. Jehonas starts
    to move among the corpses. Their flesh, purple and crimson
    red. Some exposed to the open air causing rot.
    BUFFY
    Is it me, or is this starting to look not
    vampire?
    JEHONAS
    (nodding)
    The Priest was wrong. I have seen this
    before.
    Jehonas crouches down next to a body of AN OBESE MAN, the
    insides of the chest cavity exposed completely. It's like
    something took two handfuls of his lungs and ripped them out.
    JEHONAS
    I saw a guy once in Milan... he died like
    this. The vampire council believed it
    was the work of Garou.
    BUFFY
    Grow, what?
    JEHONAS
    Werewolves. Explains that smell.
    BUFFY
    No big deal. They're bad. They're
    evil. We can kick their butts.
    Jehonas starts working on the corpse, noting the PURPLISH
    coloring of the wound area.
    JEHONAS
    This man died not too long ago.
    (beat)
    Have you hunted werewolves before?
    BUFFY
    Uh, sort of, but he turned out okay, in
    some doggish way.
    JEHONAS
    Good.
    He looks around the room, grim.
    JEHONAS
    Chloe isn't here. We can hope she might
    still be...
    An UNEARTHLY HOWL echoes through the tunnels. Buffy snaps
    alert, spins to the door.
    Jehonas stands up straight. Another eerie HOWL echoes
    through the maze. They both look further into the tunnel and
    see A PAIR OF GLOWING YELLOW EYES staring back at them out of
    the darkness. We see the dim outline of the massive wolf-
    like beast.
    JEHONAS
    Look what reared its ugly...
    With a horrible ROAR, the eyes lunge at them. Buffy lets
    loose the Browning -- BOOM! -- just as the beast comes
    crashing in. The force of the blast blows the beast back
    through the door.
    Another beast tears around the corner, SNARLS. Buffy jacks
    around the shotgun fast, fires again.
    The beast manages to spin away, avoiding the blast. The
    shell reduces the corner into a mess of concrete and dust.
    Jehonas breaks into a sprint, past Buffy.
    He turns the corner with his sword ready to slash. The beast
    already gone, making tracks down. The padding of bestial
    feet growing distant.
    Jehonas gives chase. Buffy is trying to keep up while
    reloading her shotgun.
    He emerges into an opening. A sudden noise to his right.
    Jehonas slashes at the direction of the sound in one swing
    with his sword. The attacker adjusts just as fast, stops and
    backs away a fraction of a second away from the blade.
    The BEAST rears up onto its hind legs for another attack,
    jumps at Jehonas but he moves so lightning fast we don't even
    have time to register his blade coming upwards, slashing
    deep.
    The beast HOWLS in pain. Jehonas spins the blade, slashes
    again, and AGAIN in precise cuts. The beast falls backward
    dead.
    Buffy jumps in behind him and fires her shotgun just as
    another beast tries to tackle Jehonas from behind. BOOM!
    She blows it off screen.
    BUFFY
    Bad doggie!
    JEHONAS
    Follow. There's another.
    They take off down the tunnel. The path is serpentine, with
    many smaller passages and anterooms off to the sides.
    Jehonas and Buffy move rapidly, turning left and right, the
    walls behind them becoming a blur.
    They come into the LARGE MAIN ANTECHAMBER, with dozens of
    huge support pillars. Jehonas barely catching the profile of
    the beast before it disappears around a corner.
    He gives another hand signal, and they split up, ready to
    catch the beast on both flanks.
    TIGHT ON BUFFY, running, ready to turn another corner and --
    SLAM! Something barrels into her -- it's a TEENAGE GIRL.
    Actually, the same girl from the first photo, CHLOE. The
    girl's covered in grime, clothes torn. She backpedals
    into a combat stance, breathing hard.
    CHLOE
    (screaming)
    Qui êtes-vous?
    Buffy pulls back her shotgun.
    BUFFY
    Um... Je m'appelle Buffy.
    Jehonas slides into view behind Chloe.
    BUFFY
    Je suis le... um, help here.
    Chloe sees her eyes, spins around to the man. She visibly
    relaxes.
    JEHONAS
    Chloe?
    CHLOE
    Le Professeur!
    (heavy accent)
    And American Slayer?
    JEHONAS
    Où est le monstre?
    CHLOE
    It took off down the tunnel. I went the
    other way. There are four in the pack.
    Jehonas races off.
    INT. STALAGMITE HELL - NIGHT
    Another large room with deep recesses and alcoves into the
    walls for the dead. Stalagmites, stalactites. It's like
    staring into an ugly maw. The beast races across the room
    just as --
    JEHONAS
    dashes across an upper level, LEAPS, stomps the beast with
    one foot, then landing on the ground in one motion.
    


End file.
